---
title: "QUALITY CORNER: A Commitment to Continuous Improvement"
description: "QUALITY CORNER: A Commitment to Continuous Improvement"
---

[Engauge Newsletter - Citizens Energy Group ](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge)

# [QUALITY CORNER: A Commitment to Continuous Improvement](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/quality-corner-a-commitment-to-continuous-improvement)

 Written by [Susan Harris](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/author/susan-harris) | 2/4/19 3:29 PM

Does your area have a goal for how many stars you plan to achieve this year? The Levels of Quality for 2019 have been presented to Directors and CLASS Ambassadors and are now available on the Quality Systems Department’s iTrust site. 

One of the areas of focus for the 2019 Levels of Quality is Commitment to Continuous Improvement (CI). Areas can earn one star for holding at least three waste identification sessions, resulting in a documented action plan. Quality Systems developed a Waste Identification Template that is posted on the [CI Tools and Training](https://itrust.citizensenergygroup.com/departments/QualityCI/SitePages/CI%20Tools.aspx) iTrust page for areas to use when capturing items identified during the sessions. 

**Purpose** – The purpose of a waste identification session is to develop a Lean culture where problems are identified and fixed at the root cause level. 

**People (employee engagement) **– This process allows employees to expose problems and learn how to apply standard Lean tools to solve them. It is intended to involve employees at all levels of the organization in the problem-solving process, and supports organizational learning of Lean tools and processes.

**Process **– A waste identification session should consist of a small group of no more than 7 to 10 employees. A *Facilitator *should lead the group through a brief “8 wastes” overview (see below). The participants will then brainstorm and identify wastes that they see in their areas. A *Note Taker* should capture all the identified wastes on the Waste Identification Template and name an individual as the *Evaluator*. After the waste identification session, the role of the Evaluator is to verify the magnitude of the waste and report findings to the group. Based on the evaluation results, the group will then categorize the identified wastes into the appropriate action status, such as Not Actionable, or assigning it as a project at a specific level (Just Do It, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, etc.). From there the group will identify a person who will be responsible for leading the improvement effort for each actionable item. 

 

**8 Wastes (DOWNTIME)**

**D****efects:** Rework, scrap, or incorrect information

**O****verproduction:** Producing more than needed or before it is needed from the customer’s perspective

**W****aiting:** Time waiting for the next step in a process

**N****on-Utilized Talent:** Underutilizing people’s talent, skills, and knowledge

**T****ransportation:** Unnecessary movement of information, products, or material

**I****nventory:** Excess information, products, or material

**M****otion**: Unnecessary physical movements

**E****xtra Processing:** More work or higher quality than what is required by the customer

 

**Yellow Belt Certifications**

Six Citizens employees received Yellow Belt certifications in January. Pictured above, left to right, are:

**Glenn Smith** (Thermal) - Screenhouse Error-Proofing

**Madison Barker** (Energy Distribution Engineering) - Gas New Service Orders

**Katie Gomes** (Shared Field Services) - Identification Verification Process

**Paul Dicken** (Water Distribution) - Capital Water Projects Construction Crews Analysis

**Steve Berube** (Water Distribution) - Distribution Water Quality Nitrification Control Plan

**Darren Baker **(Health, Safety & Security) - Improved Vehicle Accident Reporting

 

*Contact a member of the Quality Systems team or your CLASS Ambassador with any questions, comments, or if you are in need of more information related to CLASS, Levels of Quality, etc.*

[View full post](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/quality-corner-a-commitment-to-continuous-improvement)

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